Eight people have appeared before magistrates charged in connection with child exploitation offences.

It comes after Kent Police carried out a series of dawn raids across Kent, the Midlands and Yorkshire, on Wednesday, and arrested 22 people.

The warrants were part of a multi-agency investigation into child sexual exploitation in Margate, Gravesend, Dover and Folkestone.

Eight people have now been charged in connection with 36 offences and have appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Roman Bodnar, 32, of Swallow Mount in Leeds, was charged with two counts of rape, arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, administering a substance with intent to stupefy/overpower to allow sexual activity, facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation, false imprisonment and causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography.

Alice Kalejova, 37, of Dover Road in Folkestone, was charged with false imprisonment, arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography, facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation and administering a substance with intent to stupefy/overpower to allow sexual activity.

Jolana Rohalova, 40, of Brockman Road in Folkestone, was charged with two counts of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, two counts of facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation and causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography.

Radko Karchnak, 20, of Walsall Street in Wednesbury, West Midlands, was charged with causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography, arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15 and facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation.

Marion Cisor, 20, of Athelstan Road in Folkestone, was charged with arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15, facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation, arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and administering a substance with intent to stupefy/overpower to allow sexual activity.

Rene Bandy, 22, of Cheriton Road in Folkestone, was charged with engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15, causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography and arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Jozef Dirda, 29, of Folkestone Road in Dover, was charged with rape, facilitating the travel of a person within the UK with view to their sexual exploitation, causing/inciting a child between 13 and 17 into prostitution or pornography and arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Rene Ferenc, 24, of Churchill Street in Dover, was charged with engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15.

Seven people have been remanded in custody while Ferenc has been bailed at a date yet to be confirmed.

The remaining 14 people arrested on the day have been bailed for further enquiries.